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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chair — a leader
  5. rule — government
  6. suit — to fit
  7. net — after costs
  8. swing — music
  9. sharp — clever
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. net — in sport
  12. rule — a law
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. suit — clothes
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. suit — in cards
  18. net — for catching
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — to play on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com